Friday, April 29, 2016

Carol, chef extraordinaire, made another wonderful meal and we had a great chat as usual. Carol experimented with a lemon tiramisu and wow, what a success! And especially appreciated since I haven't been buying many lemons at 99 cents a pop after getting them for free in PS.

John has printed up two books on Blurb with his photos of people on the streets of Vancouver. These are amazing photos but because of invasion of privacy, copyright, etc. they can't really be exhibited but they are an amazing record. He will donate them to the archives and in 50 years or so when everyone is dead, they could be shown. That's something I suppose.

And the shy Mr. Darcy made an appearance....probably to draw attention to his fancy new perch in the living room.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Always fun to hear his motown sounds and Pierrette and Anna joined us too so fun to talk to them. I hadn't seen Anna this year. Pierrette is off on a big adventure leaving Sunday. She is going Dragon Boat racing in Australia.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

.....while Richard was helping Jim with all sorts of computer stuff. Thank you so much, Richard. You are a great kid! Richard is learning to play the piano so he and a friend can do some special music project inspired by the new Twin Peaks and he just got back from volunteering at The Writer's Exchange...helping little kids have fun writing. And then of course there is the real work you do. We're very proud of you!

Sunday, April 24, 2016

We had lunch at Richard's golf course (Richard is Linda's brother-in-law) with Linda and Cec yesterday and it was great to see them and we had a wonderful lunch in the new clubhouse. We were very impressed with the food...my calamari was one of the best I've had, Jim and Cec had the steak sandwich which was excellent and Linda had the breakfast wrap.

We passed by O.W.L. (injured bird rescue) and they were having an open house....wow, what a success for them. The number of cars was amazing. Bit of a tie up but we arrived. And we learned there is a whole new way to get to the Victoria ferry. Good to know as I think we would have got lost otherwise and probably tried to take the old route even though it is no longer signed.

This bistro gets a great rating and it certainly is popular. The food was quite good but my fries weren't the real french fries of France otherwise my Croque Monsieur was pretty good and Carol's salad was very good. The noise level was just too high to be comfortable and be able to talk easily although we managed to trash Jonathan Franzen as a writer and hit lots of other topics. Well, at least people were talking and not just checking their phones...

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

We always enjoy our lunches overlooking Coal Harbour and the mountains on the North Shore. I had the halibut fish and chips. Halibut is in season and it costs a bomb but they are very generous with the halibut...I couldn't buy the amount they use for this meal any cheaper. Jim had a new rather wonderful chorizo and seafood penne. And we got introduced to Bridge Pale Ale made on the North Shore. A little more complex than Red Truck. And they were filming a movie on the seawall so that was rather fun.

It is hard to believe we've only been back so little time and that the weather has been so amazing and warm for the most part. Sitting on our balcony yesterday afternoon, we saw some people take a dip in the ocean. Well, it was like summer as far as air temp but we know the ocean would be chilly!

Taken with my iPhone this morning. Looks like the weather may be changing so best to take advantage of today.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

I guess this will literally be like a walk in the park for Richard after running the marathon. The Sun Run is only 10K. There are over 40,000 people participating...a great event and good on the Vancouver Sun for having this great event.

Dick and Susan came for dinner last night....always lots of interesting conversation and they loved my Caesar salad as usual and we had Olympia's special pizza with shrimp and they loved that too....something new for them. And Susan brought me these wonderful bookmarks...thanks so much!

Saturday, April 16, 2016

We have our meeting tomorrow. I hope to make it as long as I don't get blocked out by the Sun Run road closures. I made some ATC's inspired by Alexander Calder. It was fun! The abstract style is much easier to do on these small surfaces than my naive style.

We're also having a bookmark exchange so I printed up bookmarks from my five paintings I did in Palm Springs.

Friday, April 15, 2016

We went to The Sylvia last night for the music and it was packed and couldn't get a seat bt the music. Cannery Row was playing...a very popular band. We were disappointed but then ran into some beach friends we hadn't seen since we have arrived back in Vancouver and we got a place in the dining room and had a nice chat catching up. It was quieter there for conversation so it all worked out.

We're quite liking the renovations The Sylvia made while we were away. We don't usually sit at bars but the new bar does look inviting!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

I got right at the computer at 10 am this morning to register for my class with Lealle Ruhl. She is a very popular instructor and people register for anything she does. I have become one of them. There was a good chance this year because she is offering to two sections of 75 places each but even after an hour of registration two thirds of the seats were gone.

SCFC958 - Understanding Identities in the 21st Century (55+)

Since the emancipatory social movements of the 1960s, including the campaigns for civil, gay and women’s rights, identity has become a key element of political life. Referring to our subjective self-definition, identity is entwined with liberation and self-expression, and provides a focus for effecting social change and ending discrimination. However, in the 21st century, identity is an increasingly problematic concept. The belief in a fundamental core of characteristics and experiences is undercut by the actual diversity of how individuals engage with the social world.

We will explore the complexities of identity in the 21st century, examining how identity has helped create opportunities and demands for social change. By probing current debates about race, gender and the “problem” of refugees, we will try to understand the importance of identity in contemporary life.

Jim's Coure:

Jim's course filled 21 of the 55 seats in the first hour so that is great. It's being offered in the evening so he was wondering how well that would do. It seems to be doing fine. I expect the people who registered in the first hour are folks from his course last year.

AHCP288 - Ten Masters of the Short Story Compared

What are the elements of a timeless short story, and how do the virtuosos of the form combine these ingredients into an artistic whole?

We will discuss classic stories by ten masters of short fiction, including Poe, Hemingway, Lawrence, Joyce, Mansfield and Munro (late-career). We will define the key elements of fiction—among them plot, imagery, conflict, setting, style, tone, character and narrative point of view (including shifts in time sequence)—then demonstrate each author’s skill in using these components to convey a dominant theme or “unity of effect,” as Poe described a story’s most characteristic feature. While we will refer to author biographies, and learn what makes a good film adaptation of a short story, our focus will be on close analytical readings of each story.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

We have a similar looking day today but we have had the most amazing warmth and sunshine. I keep having to remind myself it isn't the summer!

And while I do enjoy the sound of seagulls and our chirping birds and even the honking geese (I could do without the crows and the herons squawking (but those are fairly rare) I do miss the wonderful songbirds that Eric mentions.

"A cloudy Sunday in Palm Springs with higher mountain peaks hidden. Yet, I find a lot of beauty in the Spring gardens and won't complain with about 325 days of sunshine! Where else? And we got a little rain. The birds songs this morning fill the air with even more beauty as does the fragrance of jasmine."

Thursday, April 07, 2016

I’m not crazy about the redesigned Vancouver Sun, but I suppose I’ll get used to it, just like all other times there have been changes over the 45 years I’ve been a daily reader.

One thing I must say is that the new logo is one of the worst examples of a corporate insignia I’ve ever seen. I can’t be the only one who looked at it and immediately thought it bore a remarkable resemblance to a hangman’s gallows. What does that say about the future of Postmedia?

And choosing a London design firm was not only a waste of money, but bad press — was there not a local firm that could have been given the job?

Wednesday, April 06, 2016

I wrote a letter to the editor of the Vancouver Sun expressing my dismay at the logo...pretty much what I posted on the blog and figured I was going to end my streak of all letters published but decided to send it anyway. Couldn't believe it got published today!

I see I'm not the only one who feels this way:

There’s much to like about the Sun’s refreshing new look. Congratulations on all of it — except for the logo. It is just dumbfounding to imagine a group of intelligent people talking themselves into approving such a lame concept. And to reach out all the way to London for it? Because there are no Vancouver, let alone Canadian design firms? Just quietly and quickly lose it and we’ll all agree not to bring it up again.

Well, overall I'm fairly positive to the new format and really like the fact that subscribers to The Sun now get full digital access to the National Post but the logo by a London-based design firm has to go. Why get a firm from London, U.K. to do this when I'm sure a local contest inviting subscribers to create a logo that really represents Vancouver would be successful. Everyday I look at the "Essential California" logo I feel uplifted. I think I will feel depressed everyday I look at the Vancouver Sun logo. What were they thinking?

This logo apparently "represents our urban coastal environment in the form of a seawall or waterfront walkway in shades of green".

P.S. Jim just looked at my blog and commented that he thought it looked like a gallows.

Now, this is a logo that is brilliant as far as I'm concerned...from the LA Times "Essential California" digital daily newsletter.